PAOK boss hails ‘super player’ Taylor as Yamada arrives at Paradise

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The Celtic Star

·20 de julio de 2025

PAOK boss hails ‘super player’ Taylor as Yamada arrives at Paradise

Greg Taylor’s new manager hailed him as ‘super player’ after the defender made his first appearance for PAOK since leaving Celtic…

Greg Taylor of Celtic arrives at Celtic Park. Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, 10 May 2025 Photo Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock

After six trophy-laden years at the Hoops, during which he collected 11 domestic trophies, the Scotland international sealed a summer transfer to the Thessaloniki side.

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Taylor featured for PAOK for the first time in a 2-1 friendly defeat at Ajax’s De Toekomst academy, lining up alongside ex Celtic loanee Jonjoe Kenny, who also arrived at the club this summer from Hertha Berlin.

His display caught the eye of PAOK’s Romanian head coach, Razvan Lucescu, the son of renowned veteran manager Mircea.

Speaking via The Herald regarding Taylor’s display, he said: “Greg Taylor is just a super player and we also have Jonjoe Kenny, who showed a lot of intensity and energy.”

Daizen Maeda and Greg Taylor celebrate during the Premier Sports Cup Final victory over theRangers at Hampden on 15 December 2024. Photo AJ for The Celtic Star

“They both showed they will be very comfortable in our team and both already looked at home. Both of them have fitted in well to the team and I am happy with their preparations for our first game of the season.”

“There is still a lot of work to be done to prepare, but I am very pleased with the way the players have adapted to their new club. They will be big players for us this season.”

After finishing third last season in Greek Super League, Taylor and Kenny will both compete in 2025/26 Europa League group stages.

Celtic v St Mirren – cinch Premiership – Celtic Park – Greg Taylor celebrates with the trophy after the cinch Premiership match at Celtic Park, Saturday May 18, 2024. Photo Andrew Milligan

Meanwhile, new Celtic signing Shin Yamada has revealed that his choice to join the Hoops is driven by his passionate ambition to be named in Japan’s World Cup squad next summer.

Celtic new Japan striker Shin Yamada is unveiled during the pre-season friendly match between Celtic and Newcastle United at Celtic Park on July 19, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The 25-year-old was introduced to the Celtic support yesterday afternoon at the pre-season friendly against Newcastle, which Celtic won 4-0. The £1.3 million Celtic signing from Kawasaki Frontale certainly looked pleased with the welcome he received at Paradise.

Having earned his first senior cap for his country just last month, Yamada is confident that excelling at Celtic will boost his development and elevate his international career.

Conor Spence

Here’s Kieran Tierney speaking to The Celtic Star and a few other Celtic fan media sites…

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter…

Thank you to everyone who has already pre-ordered the late David Potter’s last ever Celtic book, Celtic in the Eighties, which will be published on the fifth day of September by Celtic Star Books. The link to pre-order your copy is below…

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter, out 5 September 2025. Available to pre-order now.